Westerns about the 19th and early 20th century are almost by definition American mythology, but one has the choice of a wide variety of sub-genres. Many are focused on the individuals protecting others from violence, another group centers on the brave pioneers or the abused Native-Americans, and most of the rest expand on a sensationalistic version of the West. Films in this last category include the "Lonesome Dove" series, all the Jesse James/Younger brothers/Billy the Kid/O.K. Corral epics and recent films like "Unforgiven." The common denominator in all these films is some extraordinary circumstance that forces one individual or group of individuals to stand out in some heroic way. The few exceptions are generally family films that tell about daily life and difficulties along the way, but find a way to make you feel good about the world when all is done.
"Bite the Bullet," "Monte Walsh," "Ulzana's Raid," and films like them tell a different story where animals and people suffer, people die for no good reason, and there are no heroes. The emphasis in these films is on telling a true story with all the mundane unpleasantness left intact. "Bite the Bullet" is not a feel-good film, but it does offer a realistic portrayal of an endurance race by choosing an assortment of standard western types and evaluating them through the eyes of one reluctant participant. I can't fault those who criticize the movie cliches in this film, because they are there and they are annoying, but I still admire this film for showing the race itself was a worthless and destructive enterprise for all the casual participants. Considering the support given cliché-driven movies like "Silverado" and sensationalistic extravaganzas like "Lonesome Dove," "Bite the Bullet," in my opinion, deserves a larger audience and a better overall IMDB rating than it has gotten.
